The Tree of Life
Ever since I read Rick Joyner's illuminating book "There Were Two Trees In The Garden," my journey in Christ has been different. I realized through that book and two others: "The Saving Life Of Christ" by Major Ian W. Thomas, and "The Normal Christian Life" by Watchman Nee; that, up until that time, even though I was genuinely a new creation in Christ (or born again) I was still basically living in my own strength- living for God instead of letting Him be my life.
Jesus Himself said something amazing and illuminating: "Of my own self I can do nothing, I only do what I see the Father doing. The Father in me does the works." Wait a minute, Jesus is God! What did He mean when He said He could do nothing of Himself?
The wonderful truth is that Jesus was not only 100% God ('In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word WAS God") He also became 100% human. God and man in one body. Let's look at a couple of passages from books in the Bible that are right next to each other:
James 1:13 says "...for God cannot be tempted by evil..." Hebrews 4:15, speaking of Jesus our High Priest: "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." (emphasis mine)
One verse says God cannot be tempted, the other that He was tempted. What do we do with this seeming contradiction? Here is the point: Jesus was tempted, but not as God. He was tempted as man!
So...what does that have to do with you and me? Everything. Jesus didn't do a single miracle out of His divinity, but out of his humanity dependent upon His (our) Heavenly Father. He empowers us to live in His strength, not our own. We learn to say with the Apostle Paul "I live, yet not I, but Christ Who lives in me." We are not earthbound anymore, but a new creation!
The two trees in the garden? One is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It's chief characteristic? Self-sufficiency. The Other is the Tree of Life, Jesus Christ Himself. By the grace of God we can choose to eat from the Tree of Life daily. Christ in you is the hope of glory!
Amazing, David. That book rocked my world, too. I read "The Final Quest" first, also by Rick Joyner, and all I could do was cry and repent. Read "Two Trees" next and my thinking/understanding was completely transformed. Christ in me - no more, no less - only hope I have... Love ya, Brother!
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